David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1187 Attempt (2024-02-18)

Notes (S1186)

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Notes (S1187)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (0),  Small Defects (2),  Continuous Improvement (4)
	No Images from 2024-02-18 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2024-02-18)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by sky conditions.
2. 12P/Pons-Brooks. Acquire images of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks which has been undergoing regular outbursts.
3. PHD2/Guiding. First live usage of new PHD2 version 2.6.13. Check for any issues or problems.
4. AstroMain. Continue to test fixes to CCDSoft Camera/SBIG Camera operations to prevent stalled execution during starting, fix issues due to occasional repeated failures during Cam1 focusing and occassional unexpected CCD Temperature regulation.

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.6.1.1,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.5.414, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.6,   Pulsar Dome Firmware 1.51 & Driver 6.3.10
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.13, Siril 1.0.6, deCONZ 1.18.2, ASCOM 6.6 SP1
• [ DomeLink 1.0 / 1.1 - not used ]
   
• AstroMain 3.65.15, AstroPlan 1.39.5,  AstroShCap 1.3.15, AstroGuard 1.10.2
  AstroVOE 1.13,  AstroSN 1.10.2,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.12.10
  (AstroWeather 1.23.10, AstroAllSky 3.19.11,  AstroObsCam 1.11.4, AstroLaunch 1.11.1

Highlights

• Targets. All targets failed due to cloud/session suspension or were cancelled after session finished early due to cloud and forecast rain.
• 12P/Pons-Brooks. Images of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks weren't acquired due to cloud.
• AstroMain. No issues with CCDSoft Camera/SBIG Camera however the Camera wasn't used to acquire any images in this session due to cloud
• PHD2/Guiding. No imaging/guiding activity in session and therefore no opportunity to use/check the new PHD2 2.6.13 version
•  Dome Parking.  Dome parked ok at the correct position at end of the session using modified & faster 'Search for Best Dome Park' routine..

Notes:

• This was a session attempt that was commenced under Autostart during a very brief parting in clouds.
  
  Session failed due to cloud and later rain.

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Night Sky Summary Plot Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s) Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 20:43:13 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 20:43 & 05:24 20:43:14 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (20:43) 20:43:23   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (to set AutoSave No.) 20:43:48   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (Set point -25°C) 20:43:50 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2024-02-18 S01187, ImageSaveNum: 1187001) 20:43:55   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 20:45:44   Services Started Observatory Services started 20:45:51 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 20:45:53 Session Pending Session pending (2024-02-18) 20:45:55 Session Initiating Session initiating (2024-02-18) 20:45:57   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.39.5) 20:46:55   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 961) 20:47:10   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (Set point -15°C) 20:47:45   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 20:48:09 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 20:48:59   Wait On Weather Waiting for acceptable conditions 20:49:02 Session Suspending Session suspending 20:49:04   Dome Closed Dome already closed 20:49:06 Session Suspended Session suspended 20:49:31   Queue Started Observing Queue started (29 targets selected) 21:18:53     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (1/29, 12P/Pons-Brooks) due to cloud 21:37:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (2/29, Nova Cas 2021) due to cloud 21:51:51     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (3/29, 32P/Comas Sola) due to cloud 22:08:41     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (4/29, Nova Per 2020) due to cloud 22:19:03     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (5/29, GCVS HH And) due to cloud 22:27:31     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/29, WDS GRB 34) due to cloud 22:37:47 User Intervention User request to close and finish session 22:37:49   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted 22:37:52 Session Closing Session closing 22:37:57   Dome Closed Dome already closed 22:37:58   Dome Parked Dome already parked 22:39:03   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 63s) 22:39:18   Telescope State Handbox reads 'Scope parked Turn scope off.' 22:39:40   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 22:41:02   Dome Charging Dome is parked and re-charging Ok (11mA) 22:41:04   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 22:41:07 Session Finishing Session Finishing started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 22:41:14     Dome (Find Park) Find Park started (Search Az 87.0 to 93.0°, Step 0.2°, Narrow) 22:42:37     Dome Find Park found (Best Park Az 90.0°) 22:45:43 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts & Alarms

Time     Type       Name Detail 22:45:43 Red Alert Dome Charging Dome hasn't started re-charging after 3.0 min. Dome may not have parked correctly

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Operational Issues (2024-02-18 S1187A)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (0)
• Small Defects (2)
• Continuous Improvement (4)
  

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• None

Small Defects

• Reason for session suspension not given (20:49). After the suspending session without opening dome just after session because of deteriorating sky conditions,  execution moved to Target 1/29 (12P/Pons-Brooks) and due to continuing suspension the Session Status' was reported as "Session Suspended (Due to )"  with Current Conditions given as "Stars 11 (Clarity 34.0, Rain 0, Wind 3.2 mph, T 8.1°C) ". The reason for suspension was 'Too Few Stars' but instead a blank reason was given.  Similar problems have been seen before (eg S1182, 2024-01-13).   Analysing AstroMain code  :
  
   ObsManager Main Loop: 
 "> Reason To Suspend", "Info", LPad18(WriteReasonToSuspend(globals.ReasonToSuspend)) + "(" + S + ")") 
    where S is generated from a Select  Case globals.ReasonToSuspend block and 'globals.ReasonToSuspend'
    is set from local variable 'Reason' which is itself set by function MustClose(Reason)

In the '' Check Observatory State' code section where (..Due to )" was produced the relevant statement is
   LPad18("Session Suspended") + "(Due to " + GetSuspendReason() + ")"
     where the string returned by GetSuspendReason is generated from a Select Case globals.ReasonToSuspend
     block directly for certain specified cases else indirectly from a call to the function GetFailDescription(ReasonToSuspend).  

The later function will return a blank string  "" when ReasonToSuspend has the value FailureState.Blank (ie 0). 
  [ ReasonToSuspend() can theoretically set to FailureState.Blank (0) in the function UpdateReasonToSuspend()
   in an else statement when none of the list of 9 prescribed conditions in the prior if/elseif block are true,
   however this function doesn't howver any references ]. 

Elsewhere in the Main Loop there is some 'Record SoftSuspend' code that executes if Reason = 0 and can set
    ReasonToSoftSuspend = FailureState.TooFewStars when the function TooFewStars() is true rather set it to FailureState.Blank. 
 
The function CanResume(reason) can sometime return False with reason=0, when MinutesSince(TimeSessionSuspended) < 2
     { could apply in this particular case, as it occurred sort after session was suspended }, or
       when SecondsSince(TimeSessionSuspended) < 20 And DayTimeTestingIsOn() { not applicable }.
The former condition 'MinutesSince(TimeSessionSuspended) < 2' hides other conditions that check specific
     weather/star conditions and may set non-zero reason values.
  CanResume () has been modified in AstroMain 3.65.16 to 'expose' these non-zero reason values.  An extra FailureMode.WaitOnTimer = 30  has been added and used in CanResume itstead of setting reason to 0.  GetFailDescription() has been updated accordingly.  . Some fixes made to CanResume () and GetFailDescription() in AstroMain 3.65.16 in attempt to resolve the issue. AstroPlan 1.39.6 also updated on 2024-02-21 to use the new FailureMode=30 for completeness (though it isn't anticipated to ever crop up in practice as a failure reason).
  Fix attempted 2024-02-20  (AstroMain 3.65.16, AstroPlan 1.39.6)
   
• In appropriate Dome Charging alert message given at the end of session following successful Search for Best Dome Park (22:45).  Dome Charging Red alert was issued 3 minutes after search for Best Park position with the message "Charging Dome hasn't started re-charging after 3.0 min. Dome may not have parked correctly".   This message is inappropriate as i) the shutter battery was already fully charged as the dome was opened during the session attempt or moved from its park position (ie it wouldn't be expected to see any charging activity within 3 mins of 'parking') and ii) find Best Park Position had successfully found and moved dome to the optimal park position.   Red/Yellow Dome Charging alerts disabled in AstroMain 3.65.17.  The Green Alert is left enabled.
  Fixed 2024-02-21  (AstroMain 3.65.17)

Continuous Improvement

• AstroMain's  'ImageSets/Title2' utility to be updated to report the comet movement per single frame. The 'Title 2' facility already reports comet motion in arcsec/hr and arcsecs & pixels over the duration of an imageset. Example of a current report:
  
     12P/Pons-Brooks
   (Ra 54.70 arcsec/hr, Dec -15.99 arcsec/hr)
   Overall Rate : 56.99 arcsec/hr, Motion : 10.9 arcsec in 11.5 mins (7.8 px at 3x3)
  Reporting should be extended to show pixels over duration of a single frame.  
     e.g.  ", 1.6 arcsec (1.1 px)  per frame"
  Implemented in AstroMain 3.65.16, new global variable 'ImageSetFrameDurationMins' used to hold the duration of first frame in frameset. This is set in GetObjectTargetDetails() and used in GetObjectTargetDetails.
  Done 2024-02-19  (AstroMain 3.65.16)
   
• Consider Killing & Restarting CCDSoft when Opening Reduced Folder (X) for a new ImageSet. This would save the effort to manually close image and histogram and any other sub-windows when moving to analysis/combining of frames for the next Image Set. The only drawback is that there is no check / clarification with user if an image file has been changed and hasn't been saved.  For this to work efficiently CCDSoft must have previously been manually closed with no images files open, otherwise the previously associated images will be reopened each time CCDSoft is restarted.
  Done 2024-02-19  (AstroMain 3.65.16)
   
• Add extended Target Name to ImageBuilder Form. It will be helpful to have an additional field to show the current target name inclusive of TNS Id.
  Done 2024-02-20  (AstroMain 3.65.16)
   
• Clean up 'Notes' pages with respect to the 'Figs' area, at the end of Operational Issues section. 'Fig 1' text and associated white space to be removed where there is currently no figure/picture.  'Fig 1',  'Fig 2' etc. and the figure title to used bold text where it is currently in normal text.  Deemed to have been completed 2024-04-01 by going back to around the time that the Fig 1. section was introduced.  If any further pages are found with an used Fig 1 entry they were be fixed when discovered.
  Done  2024-04-01  (Website / Notes)

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